New top team take steering wheel at Edinburgh-based EV charging specialist For:EV

An Edinburgh-based provider of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure has implemented its top team as it gears up to roll out nearly 2,000 charge points.

From left: new CEO Steve Dunlop and chair John Watson. Picture: contributed.

For:EV, which is backed by the Scottish National Investment Bank (SNIB), has appointed Steve Dunlop as chief executive, the full-time role coming after he has been chair for the past two years. He is succeeded in the latter’s driving seat by John Watson, while founder and former CEO Lindsay Wallace takes the steering wheel as executive director sales and innovations Europe.

The firm added that the new-look leadership team comes during a significant growth phase that has seen it launch a new brand and website and get “ambitious” plans off the starting grid to install 1,700 EV charge points across 600 sites in Scotland and beyond.

For:EV credits Watson with having held various executive and non-executive positions globally, adding that he is an operating principal of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), and is CEO of one of their companies, Crosswind Developments, which was established to regenerate excess land at Edinburgh Airport.

Prior to joining GIP, he was MD of Lloyds Banking Group’s $50 billion (£40bn) SME Lending portfolio, and is heavily focused on sustainability businesses, also being chair of vertical farming innovator Intelligent Growth Solutions.

He said: “It’s a privilege for me to join the forward-thinking team at For:EV. We hope to make a major contribution to Scotland’s transition to a net-zero economy by boosting our electric-vehicle charging infrastructure across the country. We know that investors and customers are actively backing those organisations that get commercial EV charging right.”

Steve Dunlop commented on taking the CEO reins, stating: “There has never been a more critical time for the private sector to step in and help shape the delivery of the green economy. We urgently need a high-quality, user friendly, accessible EV charge point infrastructure to overcome the current barriers to transitioning to electric vehicles. For:EV is ready to tackle this challenge – and I look forward to helping the country find solutions.”

The firm points out that its business model has two areas of focus. They comprise charging infrastructure that is open to the public on a pay-as-you-go basis, billed as offering a sustainable income to host landowners; and secondly a dedicated “charging as a service” offering for fleet-owners and operators. For:EV also says its dual focus supports the vision of its key investor and shareholder the SNIB to drive forward Scotland’s transition to net zero as the nation phases out the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2032.

For:EV’s founder Lindsay Wallace concludes: “With initial investment from [the SNIB] in place we have been able to supercharge our capabilities and will be targeting installation at multiple sites across Scotland in the next 12 months, as well as investigating other funding sources that will support our ambition to roll out 100 per cent green energy charging across the rest of the UK, and beyond. With Steve and John on board, and our initial funding beginning to make a real impact, we are perfectly positioned to achieve our goals.”

Andy Clapp, executive director – investment portfolio management at the state-backed SNIB, said: “We look forward to seeing the company grow the availability of charging points across Scotland in the coming years.”